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Two weeks ago, Sonia from Life Love and Hiccups started the story of her scars. In the comment section of her blog, I also shared a little of the story of my scars, of the feelings that I had towards them and the stigma that followed. I have been thinking a lot about this recently, and a reaction from a man in the supermarket last week has renewed this desire to share.read more

*I did not receive any products in return for this article. As always all opinions are my own*I have talked in the past about my scars. There are a lot of them and up until a couple of years ago they were very red and extremely itchy 90% of the time. Any time that I sweated, or it was cold, they would dry out and be very uncomfortable. That was until I started using Bio Oil. The scars haven’t completely disappeared but the difference in the colour and comfort was amazing. I was hesitant to spend so much money on a beauty product, not knowing how well it would work but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

Bio Oil have launched the Skin Stories Campaign in the hopes that through stories shared will help to rid the shame surrounding our differening skin conditions. To help get the conversation started, Bio Oil is donating $5 for each story shared on the Bio Oil Facebook Page, to the organisation ‘Look Good, Feel Better. Look Good, Feel Better is an initiative started by the Cosmetic Industry Community that helps cancer patients.read more

If the ‘fashion world’ is to be believed, plus size starts at size 12-14. I call fucking bullshit! How on earth are we supposed to portray to our children that size isn’t everything, when a world that is so dominant to a teenager is telling them that they are ‘overweight’ at a size 12-14. There is so much outrage…and yet nothing is done.

When will it be that a woman is recognised for her brain, her voice, her passion and not the size of her bra, shirt and short short skirt?

Loving my body is something that I have always struggled with and continue to struggle with. It doesn’t matter what size I am…I hate it. I stand in front of the mirror, poking and proding, picking out things that I do not like. I have always felt a strong disconnection between my body and my mind. My mind is strong, my body is weak.

This isn’t about hate though, this is about love. I don’t hate my entire body, I don’t know if that is entirely possible. Even at my lowest of lows, when poked and prodded I could eventually come up with something that I liked. As I have gotten older, I have realised the strenght that my body has. The things that I have put it through and it’s come through the other side virtually unscathed. Every weekend I thank my liver for being a fucking trooper. That bastard puts up with a bashing!

I have lived through OD’s that if left untreated could have done severe damage, drank things that were intended for cleaning purposes only and still my body is reasonably ok. I have reflux that hurts like a bitch when I forget my meds but other than that, it’s doing ok. I had someone lace my drink with turps and yet all I felt was a couple of cramps. Like I said my body has copped a hiding. It still does the stuff I want it to do! It might put up a hell of a protest but we get there in the end.

I have cut it, burnt it and scratched at it. I have tried to destroy my body in any way I could. Still it’s here, doing the shit it’s supposed to do. It might not look the way that I want it to look. Does anyones?

I birthed a mother fucking baby out of my body. I felt like a beach ball with legs, and still my body did everything that it needed to do. It created this little Devil Spawn. It was amazing and scary all at the same time but my body did it.

Do you love your body? Has it kept you in awe at the amazing things it can do?

Link up for #RCThursdays below. This is the last one for the year so lets go out with a bang 🙂

*The following post may be triggering to those who are struggling with self harm thoughts. Please make sure you are feeling safe before reading.*

If you or someone you know is contemplating hurting themselves please get in contact with a GP, go to your closes ED or give the wonderful people at Lifeline a call.
On 60 minutes on Sunday, they did a story on Self Harm. I will admit that I was apprehensive about it and didn’t actually watch it until it was available online. After I knew that other people had watched it. After I knew whether they had portrayed it in an understanding light. I just knew that I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with it, if it was anything else.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have self harmed in the past. It is something that I deal with on a constant basis. It is something that I will probably deal with for the rest of my life. Was it easy to stop? No. Not at all.
Self harm has been toted as ‘attention seeking’ among other derogatory things. Things like that do nothing for the shame and guilt that someone who self harms or has self harmed feels. The worst comments I have received have actually been from ‘professionals’. The pearlers have been when presenting to the local Emergency Departmet with injuries that needed medical attention ranging from ‘so’, ‘you know you’re doing it the wrong way’ to when presenting with self harm thoughts and not actions ‘just come back when you’ve done it’. Emergency Departments are the first port of call for mental health patients and really need to be trained in ways to deal with these patients. Psychiatrist Professor Graham Martin talks about it during his interview.

“I hear of therapists running away. I hear of people in hospital running away. Nursing staff who can’t face up to somebody who has cut themselves deliberately. Because they’re not important, and they did it to themselves, and they’re just attention seeking. I don’t believe any of that. I think when somebody goes to these lengths, they need help.”read more

March the 1st, is Self Injury Awareness day. Everyone knows someone who self harms or has self harmed in the past. Show your support and wear or draw an orange ribbon to show your awareness. Self harm isn’t a joke, it’s a coping mechanism and can be a symptom of other mental health problems. Smile at someone, it could make their day.The website Responsibility defines the act of self harm as: ‘behavior of deliberately causing oneself pain or injury.‘ Today is a day set aside to raise awareness of self harm. Self harm is such a taboo subject that spreading awareness of this struggle that many people face every single day. Self harm isn’t a failed suicide attempt. Facing up to an Emergency Department after an episode of self harm borders on terrifying. You never quite know the reception you are going to receive. It could be revulsion, scorn or if you are lucky compassion. An article in the European Journal of Emergency Medicine states ‘

Staff in the emergency departments of hospitals are reported as being negative or ambivalent toward suicidal or self-harming individuals. According to the literature, these patients are subjected to stigmatization and lack of empathy. This phenomenon has been linked to a decreased quality of care offered to these individuals and to missing an important opportunity to prevent further suicidal behavior or repetition of deliberate self-harm’read more